Mavs Courting O'Neal? Oh Boy?!

By Richie Whitt Wed., Jul. 7 2010 at 11:00 AM

Categories: Dallas Mavericks

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Your Dallas Mavericks are pondering an O'Neal, but not that one.

Team source told me last night that the Mavs acquiring former Superman center Shaquille O'Neal is "a long longshot," but that Miami Heat center Jermaine O'Neal is a real possibility.

Honestly, neither name gets me too excited. Ten years ago? Maybe. But today they're both in the twilight - or at least on the downside - of their careers and are part-time players that don't push Dallas close to the hump, much less over it.

Shaq would bring a buzz, but would he produce better basketball? Unlikely. He couldn't win alongside LeBron James in Cleveland last year.

Jermaine is another, admittedly more enticing, story.

Seems like forever ago (it was actually 1996) when I covered the Mavs and the NBA for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Jermaine was drafted out of high school and quickly blossomed into an elite All-Star post player for the Indiana Pacers. In his early 20s, the kid was a beast, a 24-point scorer with supreme athleticism for 6-foot-11 player.

Now? He averaged 14 points and seven rebounds last season and played in 70 games, but at 32 he's likely a 24-minute guy who'll miss considerable time with creaky knees. Jermaine is an upgrade over Erick Dampier and Brenden Haywood, but he isn't the splash Dallas is looking to make in free agency.

If the Mavs are desperate for some sort of low-post presence, I'd rather see them bring in Minnesota's Al Jefferson. You?

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Tags:

basketball, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban, Shaquille O'Neal

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There probably aren't any centers on the market that can do the kind of defending required to make up for Dirk's poor play on defense. This might be a nitpick, but Richie says "Jermaine was drafted out of high school and quickly blossomed into an elite All-Star post player for the Indiana Pacers." Quickly? He spent years sitting on the bench for the Blazers behind guys like Arvydas Sabonis, Rasheed Wallace, and Brian Grant. O'Neal was in his sixth season when he finally put up All-Star numbers. PS: I hope Richie is unwittingly partying tonight with the Duke's waitress that called him a douche bag and said he couldn't hold his liquor.
The Mavs are screwed. The names being tossed about now are either washed up (Shaq and Jermaine), overrated (Haywood) or power forwards (Jefferson and Lee). With Dirk as your four, you have to have a center that can play very good interior defense and protect the rim and none of the dudes available really fit that bill. Haywood comes the closest but there's just too much dog in him and in two years we'd all be bemoaning the fact the Mavs are paying him 10 million a year. CP3 and an overpaid Okafor may be the best option but that means the departure of Roddy B. So then it comes down to, how good do you think Roddy B will be?
Why not go after David Lee, who's putting up better numbers than Jermaine O'Neal (several teams have tried to motivate him recently and failed)? This is not what Dirk is taking a pay cut for.
Bottom line is this team will not compete for a title until they land an actual "big" free agent. I know Cuban is probably doing all he can, but knowing that none of the big names care to come here means no strong playoff run and that's obviously what ultimately counts.
Vick's still a shithead. That will never change. Al Jefferson would be preferred by far. But Shaq's numbers in a Cleveland system not well suited for him weren't all that bad in 23 minutes a game, and he could be effective here in a backup role. He'd do no worse than Damp for less money, and he's got the presence and mouth to help shed the "soft" label the Mavs get thrown at them. Shaq should not be a starter or the primary big, but he'd be a good 2nd. Jermaine? Unless they can clone Dirk's knees and transplant them, stay far, far away.
Great sports topic, RW
Hey RW, How bout a retraction on Michael Vick ? That jump the shark moment was atrocious. Shaq is terrible at this age. Haywood is better than the other guy, and should have never had the chance to leave. Al Jefferson would be an upgrade, but not enough to get you where you want to go.
I don't think Jermaine O'Neal is an upgrade over Haywood. They are just about the same age but at least Haywood isn't made of glass. Jermaine hasn't played a full season in years and he wouldn't put us anywhere near the Lakers. Al Jefferson on the other hand would be a great move. He may not do a lot defensively but 20 points and 10 rebounds is exactly what the Dirk needs from his starting center.
I'm first. He he (like a chubby schoolgirl). OK, now to business....please don't bring Shag here Cubes, please! The only benefit would be the "Shag and Corby show".